


Broken Heroes

by starlitpurple



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Captivity, Dark fic, Gen, Human Experimentation, Kotetsu POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 04:56:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9306110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlitpurple/pseuds/starlitpurple
Summary: “What is your plan then? Surely you don’t think you can keep us here forever,” Keith put in.The silence that followed was deafening to Kotetsu’s ears. It was broken only by a faint, amused chuckle.“Surely?” Maverick finally responded. “Oh but I do. You see the public thinks you all turned on Sternbild.” He threw a hand in Kotetsu’s direction. “You sided with a murderer, and helped him avoid the law. They no longer trust theirheroesanymore.”Or an alternate ending where Maverick doesn't obliviate himself, and the heroes lose.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *blows dust off of author page* *chokes to death* I still exist!
> 
> This is a story I've been sitting on for a little while now, that I've finally gotten the inspiration to edit into something (hopefully!) postable. It picks up toward the end of the series, right after Tiger and Barnaby take out the H-01 and assumes that something went sideways afterward. The heroes _don't_ win the battle, and instead find themselves held captive by their former boss. 
> 
> This fic is majorly KotetsuPOV. It is (currently) no more shippy than the show, but will lean more toward it as the story progresses.
> 
>  
> 
> **This fic is on the darker side, with darker themes and torture. Please read with discretion.**

Pain. All there was was pain. His chest felt like someone had lit a fire on it and left it there to burn him away. That someone was also cradling him in his arms while he asked him _why_. Given the chance, he wouldn’t have changed his mind. At least they’d gotten rid of the H-01. At least the others would be saved. At least…

“I’m so sorry. You were in bad shape this whole time, and I didn’t see it.”

It was getting harder to breathe, the pain overtaking his senses. This was it. He had to say his goodbyes before it was too late.

Bunny’s eyelashes, glistening with tears, were the last thing he registered before his world went black.

* * *

“--this time. I thought you said he was coming around, why isn’t he awake yet?” a deep baritone voice was saying.

“He should be anytime now, Mr. Maverick. His vitals show that he’s waking up.”

The incessant beep of a heart monitor rang loud in his ears, getting steadily quicker as his foggy brain tried piecing things together. He felt very high. Especially so, once he tried opening his eyes. The world spun and for a moment he couldn’t get his bearings.

“Ah, welcome back to the waking world, _Kotetsu _.”__

__Mr. Maverick’s creepy smiling face swam in his vision. He turned his head to the side and was infinitely grateful there was something under him, or he’d have toppled over. He closed his eyes as Maverick chuckled and set a hand on his arm. He shrugged, intending to shake him off, but his arm didn’t move like he wanted it to. He tried the other arm, and sighed. It was no use. He was shackled to the gurney, or hospital bed, or chair, whatever the thing was. He was pretty sure he was not in a hospital of any kind. That...was about the only thing he was certain of, actually._ _

__So he hadn’t died. And the others, thinking he was gone, left him behind to continue on fighting. And he’d ended up in Maverick’s hands._ _

___Oh Bunny… I am so sorry._ _ _

__“Kotetsu!”_ _

__That voice cut through where the den of words the man next to him had been spouting off hadn’t. His eyes flew open, scanning up ahead of him. “Bunny?” he nearly choked out. Wow his throat was really dry._ _

__It was hard to concentrate enough to focus on--well anything, really, right now, but after a moment, he could see his partner on the floor above them, looking down at him through what looked like really thick glass._ _

__He wasn’t in his suit. In fact, he wasn’t even in his own clothes. Kotetsu’s stomach twisted. This was bad._ _

__Maverick was still talking. Gloating, actually, from the sound of his voice. Or mocking, he couldn’t be sure. Where all the other circumstances were looking bad, this not being able to focus was more like a blessing in disguise._ _

__There were other voices too, in the background. Some familiar, some not. But he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now._ _

__His eyes slid closed again._ _

____

* * *

When he awoke once more, it was night time. Or he assumed it was, from the low lighting. Maverick was gone, along with whoever else was with him. His mind was clearer now. There was a dull throb in his chest and he was achy all over, but he ignored it as he scanned the room he was in.

The facility was huge. On the bottom floor, there were several computers and machines, a few holding cells and restraint chairs and beds. It looked--well, it looked like some kind of horrifying experimental prison, if he was completely honest.

The floor above him was a circle of glass cells. His bed was situated, most likely on purpose, right in the center so he could see the occupants of the cells.

“Kotetsu! You’re awake!” came a familiar voice through a tinny speaker at his right. Blue Rose was smiling sadly at him from her place where she was kneeling next to her cell wall. She was in the same off white jumpsuit Bunny was wearing.

“Oh thank heavens! We were so worried about you, handsome,” Fire Emblem’s voice came from the cell next to hers.

Kotetsu looked around at all the cells. They were all filled, except for one next to Bunny. His own, he guessed, by the look of it.

“Hey guys.” He coughed from the roughness in his throat. Man he needed a drink. Possibly a stiff one, by the grim expressions on everyone’s faces. “I guess we didn’t do so well, huh?”

“We’re just glad you’re okay, Tiger,” Dragon Kid said. “Kaede will be relieved.”

His eyes widened and he involuntarily tugged at the bonds holding him to the chair. “Kaede!” His eyes scanned the room once more, checking all the cells, but there were only his comrades and two armed guards on his floor by what appeared to be the only way in.

“Your daughter is safe for now, Kotetsu, don’t you worry.” The voice was behind him. He craned his head to look behind him.

“Maverick.” He tried not to growl. He’d been expecting him to come around again sooner or later. Best to get it over with. “What do you mean _for now_?”

He walked into view, close enough to talk comfortably, but keeping his distance all the same. “Well, there’s no need for that to change...so long as you comply.”

“Comply with what exactly?” He was trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. If anything were to happen to Kaede... “Let me see her, I want to know she’s alright.”

The boom of laughter in his ears set his teeth on edge. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands, Kotetsu. But I’ll let you see her, _briefly_ , after I speak with you all.”

“Are you finally going to tell us what it is you’re doing?” Antonio’s voice came from the speaker behind Kotetsu.

“Yes, Rock Bison--oh forgive me, old habits,” he chuckled under his breath, “ _Antonio_ , I mean.” He let that sit for a moment before going on. “But yes, now that Kotetsu here has finally decided to join us I can tell you all what’s going to happen now.

“First, I suppose I should tell you about your new home.” He held his arms out, turning to look at them all, before dropping his hands and letting his gaze settle on Kotetsu. “You are in a special holding facility made specifically for NEXT criminals.”

There wasn’t a facility just for NEXT though, there never had been. Prisons had special holding cells made for NEXT depending on their abilities, but there had never been enough need to build a facility solely to hold NEXT. Many would argue that putting that many power inclined people in one place was more dangerous than safe. It was on his lips to protest Maverick’s statement, when Barnaby unknowingly put voice to Kotetsu’s thoughts.

“There _isn’t_ a holding facility specifically for NEXT criminals, it’d be more dangerous than practical, anyway.”

“No, none of you would have known about this anyway, it’s a private project my company has been working on for a couple years. No one needed to know of it’s existence. Surely you didn’t think we’ve been throwing the extreme NEXTs you’ve fought into _normal_ prisons.”

“No.” Barnaby was frowning furiously. He stood and started pacing his cell. “That can’t be right. Jake. He was a high-security prisoner, if this facility was around, he’d have been here.”

Maverick was smiling now. “How do you know that he _wasn’t_?”

Barnaby huffed loudly. It wouldn’t be long before he lost his temper. “Because I searched and searched until I found him! And he was in a regular high security prison.”

“Ah,” Maverick pushed up his glasses. “And did you actually visit him there?”

“I…” Kotetsu already knew the answer. He hadn’t been able to go because he ended up having to come help him and the others. Barnaby had stopped pacing and was staring straight down at Maverick, rage burning in his eyes. “Are you saying that you’ve been using this place while changing memories to keep them here for your own warped purpose?”

Maverick smirked. “Now you’re catching on. You know, you could have learned a lot from him, had you taken advantage of your chances when you had them.”

“What is your plan then? Surely you don’t think you can keep us here forever,” Keith put in.

The silence that followed was deafening to Kotetsu’s ears. It was broken only by a faint, amused chuckle.

“Surely?” Maverick finally responded. “Oh but I do. You see the public thinks you all turned on Sternbild.” He threw a hand in Kotetsu’s direction. “You sided with a murderer, and helped him avoid the law. They no longer trust their _heroes_ anymore.”

Kotetsu clenched his fists, he’d heard enough of this. “You can’t do this! Do you know what’s going to happen if you go through with this? What will happen to NEXTs like us--like _you_!?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let this turn out badly for all NEXTs, just a _select_ few. In fact, Kotetsu, I should thank your daughter for the idea. I’d never tried altering memories on such a grand scale before. She made this plan much easier to execute.”

 _Kaede_. He glared at him through slitted eyes. “What have you done with her?”

Maverick was the perfect personification of calm. “I told you, Kotetsu, she is safe and unharmed.”

He couldn’t stand it anymore. He wasn’t in a cell like the others, and he wouldn’t even need three minutes to break these restraints. Getting through Maverick and his two security guards wouldn’t be much of a challenge either. He had to try. He mentally let himself sink into the comfort of his ability, like he had hundreds of times before, awaiting the moment his senses went hyperactive. Only...it never came…

“Oh,” Maverick was positively beaming at him, like he were just about to impart some grand secret to him. “Were you just trying to use your Hundred Power?”

“Wait, how did you--?”

“Did you really think that I wouldn’t have found a way to block your abilities? Actually you can thank my wonderful team of scientists for the new collars you’re all wearing. Though I assume the rest of you have already figured them out.”

Kotetsu hadn’t paid much mind to the bond holding his neck in place. He couldn’t sit up, so he had assumed whatever it was was connected to his neck. But as he looked at the floor above at the others, he could see the metallic looking ring with occasional flashing lights sitting securely around all of their necks.

Maverick waved to a guard to get his attention. “Please go retrieve Miss Kaburagi. I’m sure she wants to see that her father is indeed alive and well.”

The guard nodded and turned, going through the doors he’d been patrolling. A moment later, he came in, Kaede’s arm in his grasp as he led her in. She pulled herself free the moment she was through the door. “Dad!”

“Kaede!” He smiled, despite the situation. She was in one piece. She was whole. She was ok.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks before she made it across the room. She paused a moment at his bedside to glare at Maverick, who was still nearby, and then threw herself across Kotetsu’s chest. She was clinging to his shoulders, crying softly into his jumpsuit. He wished he could hold her, but that was out of the question right now.

So he did the only thing he could do.

“Kaede,” he said softly.

“I thought you were dead,” she sobbed. “I thought you had left me all alone. Dad--”

He squeezed his eyes closed, feeling tears springing to the corners of his eyes, sighing softly into her hair. “For a moment there, I thought I _was_ a goner,” he said softly. His eyes opened and he found himself looking over her shoulder at Barnaby above. He met his eyes as he spoke. “I’m so sorry.”

He wasn’t sure who he was apologizing to more.

“Are you okay? Did they do anything to you? Did _Maverick_ do anything?” he amended, throwing a glare in his direction.

She started to shake her head, and then aborted the motion, sitting up and putting her hand to the metal surrounding her own neck as her gaze settled on the contraption around his own neck.

“He said it keeps us from using our powers,” she told him, then shifted her gaze to glare up at Maverick. “What are you going to do to him?”

Kotetsu didn’t imagine the slight turn of Maverick’s lips at the question, he was sure. Great. This was really going to suck. He inclined his head to the same guard, still standing where Kaede broke free of his grasp and said, “I think that’s enough visiting for today. Lance, if you would escort this young lady back to her room, please.”

“Yes, Mr. Maverick.”

Kaede latched on to Kotetsu’s arm so tight that he nearly grunted from it. “No! What are you going to do to my father?” she repeated louder.

This was getting out of hand fast. They had to cooperate if he had any chance of keeping her safe. “Kaede--”

“No Dad! I’m not going to let them take you away from me!” She was crying again, holding him so tight that he was starting to wonder if they’d be able to pull her off.

“Oh, we’re not going to take him away from you,” Maverick said matter-of-factly, stepping forward and holding his hand out to halt the guard. “In fact, bringing him here to this facility saved his life.” He tilted his head at her. “You seem to be a smart girl--”

Kotetsu chomped down on the words that wanted to fly out of his mouth.

“--so I’m going to tell you a little something. You asked what I plan to do to your father.” She nodded and he continued. “Why, I’m merely going to help to make him _better_.”

Kaede tensed up as she glared at him. “‘Better’? How?”

She was no idiot. She’d picked up on the same thing as he had. Though he had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what that meant and what kind of scheme Maverick was planning. But...to what end?

Maverick grinned wide, and stepped back, nodding to his hired hand. “Lance.”

He moved forward in an instant, grasping Kaede’s wrist and attempting to pry her fingers from Kotetsu.

“No, please! I wanna stay here!” she begged.

“You can come see him again later. I assure you he will be fine in the meantime,” Maverick’s voice carried over her struggles.

“Kaede,” Kotetsu waited for her to look at him before he continued. The guard had wrestled one hand off of him, it wouldn’t be long before he got the other and hauled her from the room. “Just do what he says. Please, Kaede.”

Her eyes widened. “But Dad!”

“No buts, Kaede. They’re in control. Do what they want and you will see me again soon, alright honey?” He tried to convey the real meaning of his words. _Comply with them, and we might be able to find a way out of here safely._

She stared at him a moment longer, and then the grasp she had on him was broken, and she was being torn away. He hadn’t missed the tiny nod she gave him right before she released her grip. He covered his smile with his words, hoping it wasn’t seen through.

“I love you, Kaede.”

His words had comforted her. She was complying, but she was still making a show of sobbing and dragging her feet. Well, most of it was real, but he could tell she was playing it up so Maverick wouldn’t get suspicious.

Just before they exited the door, she stopped and turned, looking him in the eye. “I love you too, Dad.”

He smiled. “I’ll see you soon.”

As soon as the door closed once more, his eyes fell on Maverick. Before he could organize his thoughts into words, though, Barnaby was talking.

“I’m with Kaede here,” he said, standing. “Just how are you going to make Kotetsu _better_?”

Maverick laughed. “You’ll see soon enough, Barnaby,” he said, stepping toward the door himself. “All of you will...” he called over his shoulder with a little wave.

And then he was gone. Along with his stupid other guard dude.

Well this was the perfect opportunity… He started struggling in earnest with the restraints binding him to the chair. He tried twisting a wrist experimentally, but the cuff moved with it. Then he tried pulling his feet up, but could only move them about an inch before he pulled up the little slack they offered. Then he just tried using sheer outright muscle strength; maybe they’d break if he jerked hard enough. But it was all to no avail. His bonds held fast, doing their job well, and he just ended up out of breath and sore from reawakened wounds.

He slammed his head back into the cushion and ground his teeth together.

The coms must have been turned off when Maverick left. He couldn’t hear any of the others now. Bunny was pacing his cell once more. In the cell to the left of the empty one, Ivan had his head in his hands, seated on his bed. On the other side, to Bunny’s right, Karina was still sitting on the floor, knees curled under her as she concentrated on something. He couldn’t see much past her cell without craning his neck, and it was already twinging a bit from the first time he tried it.

He heaved a sigh and stared at the high ceiling directly above him. Where were they keeping Kaede? Was she in a cell like theirs? Did they give her a normal room and just have the hired help outside her door? ...He hoped it was the latter, honestly. At least they had each other here, Kaede would be all alone. And what _were_ they planning to do to him?

With the new H-01s around now, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Were they going to try to turn him into the next half-cyborg Wild Tiger? He shuddered at just the thought of it. Actually, maybe he shouldn’t be thinking about this. His mind was doing a great job of playing the “worst case scenario” game at the moment.

He really wished those speakers were on. If nothing else, hearing the others would be a distraction, at least. A welcome one, even.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Is there some interest in this? Should I post more? There's much more to come, including my own fix-it for the show. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for needles. It's not majorly graphic at all, but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to possibly triggery things.

He didn’t have to suffer with his thoughts for long. Or maybe it had been long and he hadn’t noticed; it was really hard to tell what time of day it was. Or what day it was. Or...anything relative to time, really.

The doors pushed open and four people walked through. One was in a lab coat and wore glasses, red hair pulled back in a pony, the man beside her looked to be an assistant of some kind. The other two were the two armed guards from before, and they stoically reclaimed their places in front of the door.

“Hello, Mr. Tiger,” the girl with the glasses called out with a smile. “It’s good to see you awake!”

She tugged the stethoscope from around her neck and hooked it in her ears with ease. Then she pulled over a stool and set to listening to his heart and lungs. He studied her as she jotted down her readings. She was young, probably just out of med school, by the looks of her.

She, like the man with her, was likely just another of Maverick’s pawns. She didn’t deserve to be in this mess.

The girl looked up from her chart. “How’re you feeling? Have you had any trouble breathing?”

“No. I feel pretty banged up, but it’s no worse than normal.” He rotated his shoulder involuntarily and wasn’t completely able to hide the wince that came with the motion.

The look that Glasses Girl gave him said it was anything _but_ normal, and she didn’t appreciate his levity. “You almost died, Mr. Tiger! Had they not brought you here to me when they did, you would have!”

“I guess I owe you my gratitude, then, Miss…?”

“Autumn--Doctor! Autumn, please,” she said, sounding a bit flustered. “And this is my assistant, Mason,” she continued, gesturing to the possibly slightly younger man that was setting up a table of supplies he was trying his best to ignore.

“Now Mr. Tiger--”

“Please,” he laughed, “Kotetsu’s fine.”

Dr. Autumn adjusted her glasses and laid him with a serious look. “ _Mr. Tiger_ ,” she began again, “I need to perform some tests.”

“Well, you should know I’m no good at tests.” He was talking to cover his nerves.

She smiled not unkindly at him. “You don’t have to worry then, these aren’t ones you have to use your logic on.”

“That’s a relief,” he said. Then, “Hey! You mean to say you think I have no logic?” he asked as she tied a rubber strip tightly around his forearm.

She paused, looking up from his arm long enough to give him the “duh” look. “Everyone’s seen you fight on HeroTV, Mr. Tiger. There’s a reason Mr. Barnaby is always having to save you.”

There. It was small, but it was there. Admiration. She was a fan, a rather big one, if her professionalism was being compromised by it. He decided to play it up. Maybe he could distract them long enough to gather some information and possibly figure something--anything out.

He jumped a bit at the prick in the bend of his elbow; watched the little vial fill up with his blood, and then a second one, before she was finished.

He picked up the strands of conversation while she taped a cotton ball to his arm. “Bunny doesn’t always have to save me, by the way. I’m pretty good by myself.”

“Mm-hm,” she hummed, clearly disbelieving.

“We’re a team, we have to work together,” he continued.

She ignored him, wheeling away to set the syringe and vials on the little tray table Mason had set up. She grabbed something else, but Kotetsu couldn’t tell what it was, then turned to her assistant. There was some silent exchange and then Mason was nodding and moving to the other side of Kotetsu’s bed.

Kotetsu eyed them warily.

The doctor rolled back to his side, setting down whatever it was he hadn’t caught a good glimpse of beside him. He still couldn’t see it. Which was probably the point, but that didn’t stop the trepidation he was feeling.

Autumn was looking at him with sympathy in her eyes. “You’re probably wondering what it is we’re doing. We’ve been working on a project to help all NEXTs. Enhance their abilities, alter them if they’re too out of hand or dangerous to control,” she paused, fixing him with a hopeful smile. “As well as helping them to retain their abilities, if and when they start to decline.”

Well this wasn’t what he’d been expecting. It was, well it’d be great, really great, to have his full Hundred Power back again. Still... The unease in his gut twisted up more.

“So, wait,” he started, looking at her carefully. “You’re saying you can _fix_ my Hundred Power?”

She smiled and nodded her head toward Barnaby’s cell above them. Kotetsu didn’t know if they could hear what was going on, but Barnaby was definitely focused on what was happening, a frown creasing his brow.

“It won’t be long before you’re back up to his level,” she continued. “We’ll get your five minutes back, Mr. Tiger...maybe even more.”

With that, the conversation seemed to be over. Her assistant took his chin and turned his head toward him, stretching it back.

“Hey!”

“Please cooperate, Mr. Tiger.” Autumn’s voice was very close to his ear. She was doing something to the suppressant collar around his neck. He could hear faint beeping as her fingers tapped at it.

The tapping stopped momentarily, and she must have had another of those silent exchanges with Mason, because he looked away from him, then nodded and put a hand to Kotetsu’s forehead, releasing his chin. “I’m ready.”

It was the first thing he’d spoken since they’d come in.

There were fingers on his cheek, and he allowed them to turn his head until he was looking at the high ceiling. Mason hadn’t moved his hand. His other had moved to his arm, clutching it firmly in his grasp.

He was aware the speed of his breathing was increasing. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was damn scared at the moment. His imagination was a little too good at times.

“Oh good,” he said aloud, “cause I’m not sure I--” The pressure of a finger on his lips halted his words.

“Please calm down, Mr. Tiger. I need you to relax.”

He huffed a laugh through her fingertips. “That’s easier said than done.”

But he tried. Mason’s hands were cold on his skin, but they had loosened their grip; Dr Autumn was smoothing his hair back, waiting for him to calm his nerves. He wasn’t sure he’d done much in the way of calming down, when she spoke again.

“Alright,” she said, and Mason sat up straighter. “I want you to activate your Hundred Power for me.”

He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but allowing him to use his Hundred Power was not very high on the list. Or even on it at all.

“Wait,” he frowned. “You’re really going to let me use my power? I mean, you know these restraints won’t hold me, right?” he said, tugging lightly at the straps on his wrists and ankles. “And, forgive me for saying it, but Mr. Mason here doesn’t look like he can--”

The grip on his arm tightened enough that he gasped, the pressure on his forehead now restricting any movement of his head. Or he could be wrong...

“Please, Mr. Tiger, don’t make this hard.” The look she was levelling him with held no place for argument. It was plain and simple. She was done waiting. All that was left was to cooperate, or be forced to cooperate. He didn’t really want to find out just how that would go down--being forced to use his Hundred Power.

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, letting himself shift into his power. This time it activated. He could feel the power singing in his veins. He opened his eyes, knowing they were glowing, to find the doctor smiling at him.

“Thank you.” She turned away for a moment, and he took his chance. He made his move. Or he...tried to...make his move. But he couldn’t. He could feel the pull of the bonds as he made to jerk out of them, but his muscles just responded as they normally would. It was like his power was locked up within his head. He could feel his hundred power, but he couldn’t seem to access and use it.

It took him all too long to notice that Mason’s eyes were glowing, too.

“Mason and I are NEXT,” Autumn informed him, turning back toward him with the thing she’d brought over earlier. “He can suppress NEXT abilities without harming the subject.”

Kotetsu actually laughed. Of course they were NEXT. He really should have expected that.

There was another prick, this time in his upper arm, and his eyes darted to the left, trying to see what Autumn was doing. She was looking down at a screen attached to whatever was poking into his arm. It didn’t seem to be doing anything though.

“So,” he tried for conversation to distract himself once more, “what does that thing do?”

He wasn’t actually expecting an answer. Why would they tell him what they were going to do? Clearly it was better to let the subject think up all the ways they’d die on their own. He was _really_ good at that part.

She had frowned when he spoke, but finally looked up from her screen. “It’s a probe. Basically. I’m gathering data on your abilities.” After a moment, she looked back at the screen. “You shouldn’t worry so much, this is the easy part.”

“Yeah,” he said, trying not to squirm around. “That makes it much easier to relax.”

He threw a glance at Mason. The hand was still holding him in place, but his grip had loosened up a bit from the death grip he’d had on him before. The muscles in Mason’s jaw twitched when their eyes met, and Kotetsu sighed, thoroughly giving into them. He had a feeling they’d be the key to getting any sort of help out of this place. He had to start gaining trust somewhere....

He shifted his gaze to the domed ceiling several floors above and tried to ignore the probe in his arm, and the power and adrenaline pouring through his system that made every bone in his body want to _move_ , and, well, the entire situation really. But he couldn’t.

He heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes, deciding to go with outright honesty. “I just want to know what you’re doing to me.”

His words must have made their mark, because something shifted in the young woman’s face, and the hand on his arm actually gave a small (very small, but it was definitely something) comforting squeeze. Autumn’s lips twitched and her eyes held something he couldn’t decipher within them, but it felt like understanding.

“I’m sorry. I’m not supposed to say anything--”

“Autumn,” Mason cut across; a warning.

“We’re not even really supposed to talk to any of the subjects. Beyond the things we have to communicate to the patient, anyway.” She threw a look at Mason, who was now quietly glaring at her, which she met with one of her own, before she continued, “But I will tell you that this is all that we will be doing today. I just need to get a feel for how long your powers are lasting and use the data I get from this to try to locate the main contributing factors of your degeneration.”

Degeneration. That sounded harsh. He didn’t say so.

He felt the familiar sag of strength and knew that his Hundred Power reached it’s limit.

Autumn was looking back at her screen once more, eyes darting back and forth as she scanned his results. A moment later she pulled the probe from his arm, replacing it with another piece of cotton secured with tape.

Kotetsu smiled as she reached up to mess with his collar once more. Turn it back on, he assumed. Who knew what else the things did. Probably had bombs attached to them, cause, well, why not? Another perfect example of this wonderful game of ‘what could make this situation worse than it already is?’ that was currently taking up all his brainspace.

Mason’s hands were still on him, probably as a precaution, just in case he were to flare his power back up for the last minute or something. Probably. Surely they knew he couldn’t use it again for another hour.

Kotetsu turned his head on his own when he realized what Autumn was going for, and Mason had more or less guided him, rather than use force.

“Well Doc’,” he said, watching Mason as he heard the same beeping and clicking as before from the device locked around his neck, “how’d I do?”

There was a hesitation in whatever sequence she was putting into his collar, though he had no idea what it was about. Then she was pulling away, Mason’s hands finally releasing him.

She picked up the tablet that she’d set aside, glancing at the screen briefly before looking at him once more. “You made it three minutes and twenty-six seconds.”

He nodded. That sounded about right, if a bit steeper of a decline than he was expecting. It was barely four minutes before their fight with the H-01 Wild Tiger look alike. It was definitely declining pretty rapidly now, then, though he made sure he didn’t show any outward distress. It probably wouldn’t work in his favor anyway.

Autumn started packing away her things.

“So now what?” he asked, rolling his head to each side to pop it. It felt good to move again. Even if it had only been a few minutes, it was a stressful few minutes. The resulting pop was absolutely satisfying in ways he couldn’t explain. Little things...

The girl tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she hefted a shoulder bag up over her head. “Now I review these results and compare them to future data.” She paused, smiling almost sadly at him again. “Which means we’ll have to do this on a regular basis, so we can track your decline.”

“Great!” he said with false enthusiasm. “At least I know what I’ll be looking forward to.” He met her eyes on the last word, hoping she understood how much he did appreciate her letting him in on some of what was going to be happening to him. Though he knew she still wasn’t sharing much, he understood the risk she was taking to tell him even that.

The meaningful look she gave him was all he needed to know that she got it. She turned toward the door, nodding to the guards standing vigil through that whole ordeal. They started forward in unison and she turned back to him.

“I’m sure you’re tired of this examination chair. You’ve been shackled in for nearly a week now.”

He tried not to let the shock show in his expression. Had he really been that bad off that it’d taken him a week to recover? He’d thought it had only been a couple days! No wonder everyone was exaggerating the situation. He just thought they’d been over-reacting. But...wait, she said--

“You’re releasing me?”

Her smile was stiff now; professional. “These men are going to escort you to your cell.” She turned, looking in the direction of the empty cell next to Barnaby’s, before turning back to him and levelling him with a stare. “They’re highly trained to deal with high level NEXTs--”

“So don’t try anything,” he finished, glancing at the man currently unshackling his hands. “Got it.”

She smiled and stepped out of the way as they finished undoing his restraints. “I’ll see you in a few days, Mr. Tiger.”

“Right,” he replied as the hands on his arms helped hoist him off the bed. “Uh, see ya then, Dr. Autumn.” He tilted his head at her assistant. “Mason.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend to wait this long to update, but I've had a lot going on, of late. I'm glad to see some interest in this! Thank you guys so much! I hope you're still enjoying! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm engaged!! Valentine's Day was wonderful and I can't stop smiling! <3<3<3
> 
> I guess I'm going for updating every 2 weeks-ish? I didn't have any set schedule for posting this, but every couple weeks seems to be working, so I will aim for sticking to that.

The moment the men had let him stand on his full weight, he was grateful they had hold of him. He absolutely _ached_ , his body just felt so stiff. Surprisingly, they waited until he stopped leaning half his weight on them, and only moved when he was able to shift his weight without toppling over.

They went through the doors he’d been staring at ever since he’d awoke, and then turned down a brightly lit hallway. He was hoping to find out where Kaede was being held, hoping to get a layout of the place, but ended up disappointed. There were no doors this way, only an elevator at the end of the curved hallway in the same curve of the cells on the floor above he’d seen from inside of the examination room.

He stumbled a bit as they shuffled into the small elevator, but their strong grips on him kept him upright. The elevator itself had no floor buttons on the wall. Instead it had a camera in the corner, and what must have been a mic somewhere, cause one of them said, “High security cell block, level 2,” and the doors slid closed.

The doors opened again to the same brightness of the hallway below. They walked about a half circle around what he would swear was the exact same hallway, if not for the doors lining one side every fifteen feet or so, before stopping in front of one. There was a loud buzz, and then the door slid to the side. He was quickly shuffled into the cell and walked over to the bed. The men waited until he was sitting to release him and leave. It was really more of a courtesy than he could have asked of them, since he was a prisoner and they were armed guards just doing their jobs.

The cell door slid back into place with another loud buzz, blocking out the brightness of the hallway light and plunging him into the dimness of his new cell. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. The only light coming in was from the examination room below them.

The cell itself was cramped. The only solid wall was the one the door was on, the other three were all made of thick glass. Or something akin to glass, anyway. There was probably something special about it if it were made to keep high security risk NEXT prisoners. He didn’t really want to think about it.

Aligning the solid wall were a crude toilet and shower, the glass wall dividing his shower from the mirroring shower in the neighboring cell was sandblasted, and there was a small divider between the toilet and shower spout. There was what looked to be a mostly see-thru privacy curtain pushed to the side. If he hadn’t been so sore from the past few days-- _week_ , he amended silently to himself--he would have gotten up to see, but he was simply too worn out and exhausted. Even entertaining the idea of a shower, which he very dearly wanted right now, made him want to curl up in a ball. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he could stand long enough to get himself even halfway clean.

The bed was caddycorner to the shower, up against the wall, the head of the bed against the curved wall at the back of his cell, the one overlooking the exam room below. From here he had a clear view of the chair he’d been shackled into just five minutes before. He could also see most of his fellow comrades, which were all watching him with various degrees of worry.

The coms either didn’t work between the cells, or they were off right now, which would make talking pointless. The glass distorted everything past the two cells bordering either side of his own, but the ones directly across from him were clearer, if harder to see in the dim lighting.

He caught Bunny’s eye as the other crossed to sit on his own bed, directly on the other side of the glass from his own. His partner’s room was a mirror image to his, with his facilities in the far corner bordering the next cell over. It seemed all the cells were set up this way.

 _Are you alright?_ , he mouthed at him.

He gave him a reassuring smile and nodded, fighting the way his eyes were drooping.

Bunny stared for a long moment, looking him over thoroughly before meeting his gaze once more. Kotetsu got caught up in a yawn so intense it made his body shudder and his eyes water. When his vision cleared, Bunny nodded toward his bed and mouthed, _Get some rest._

The truth was, he didn’t want to move, but he didn’t want to sleep either. There were so many pieces of the puzzle missing. So many unanswered questions. What had happened after he blacked out from the blast that had taken out the H-01? How had things spiralled so out of hand that they’d all been taken prisoner? Most of all, he wanted to know what Maverick’s purpose was in doing all of this, and more specifically, why he had abducted Kaede along with them.

Movement caught his eye and he looked up to find Bunny giving him his best stern look.

He chuckled, holding a hand out placatingly, and reached behind him to feel for the top edge of the sheet. “Okay, okay,” he said aloud, knowing Bunny would read his lips, “I’ll get some sleep.”

His fingers found the top of the sheet, and he tugged it down to where he was sitting sideways on the mattress. He sighed loud and long, then pushed himself to his feet. He moved the sheets a little further back and then all but collapsed into them. They were thin and stiff, and smelled like bleach, but the thin mattress was surprisingly more comfortable than the hard examination chair he’d been on since waking up.

He curled onto his side, facing Bunny’s cell and let his eyes slide closed.

* * *

Kotetsu woke up abruptly, later, breathing hard; a cold sweat making his skin clammy. The images of his nightmares fading slowly from his mind. It took him a moment to orient himself.

He looked over his shoulder at Barnaby curled around a pillow, sleeping soundly in the cell next door. The same jumpsuit he was wearing hanging loose around his shoulders where some of the buttons had come undone. He’d been through so much already, lost nearly everyone he’d ever been close to, and turned into nothing more than a pawn to Maverick.

This was the real nightmare. Only it wasn’t just his own, all of his comrades were being forced to actively participate in it.

He groaned and pressed his palms into his eyes, relishing a moment in the pressure there, then swiped a hand across his forehead, and slowly rolled into a sitting position, sliding his legs over the side of his bed. He felt the pull of his muscles, but the achiness and stiffness was much more muted than it had been the night before. He had wondered, briefly, before he’d fallen asleep, if he’d even be able to move when he woke up.

He rolled one shoulder, followed by the other, and then stretched his arms out in front of him, bringing them slowly above his head until his back popped. 

He looked across the small cell at the little shower stall in the corner. He was _really_ in need of a shower, and, someone must have kept him hydrated in his unconscious state, cause he really needed to use that toilet, too. Well, time to try out the facilities…

Curling his fingers around the edge of the bed, he hoisted himself up. His muscles protested a bit, but he could stay upright, which was good enough for now. He made his way over to the little toilet, a metal bowl that jutted out of the wall, then unzipped his jumpsuit low enough to pull himself out, and did his business.

And...huh, there was a tiny hand sink there beside the toilet. He’d completely missed that the night before.

Once he was finished, he stepped around the divider between the toilet and shower, and tugged the curtain across the rail. The curtain itself left little to the imagination and Kotetsu almost rethought this whole shower thing. Almost.

He tugged on the zipper of his jumpsuit, stepping out of it easily and setting it just outside the stall so it’d be within arms reach when he got out. He turned the knob and was surprised when the water turned hot after a few seconds. These were not amenities he expected being a prisoner being held against his will. He was pretty sure shower curtains weren’t a thing either…

Attached to the inside of the little divider wall was a dispenser that read “shampoo” across the front.

He laughed out loud. “Man, you wouldn’t know this was a prison.” he said to himself.

His voice came out a little hoarse. Clearing his throat, he stepped back from the stream of water and turned the handle to the left. He cupped his hands under the water once it ran cold, and took several large gulps until he was sated.

He looked back at the dispenser and shook his head, testing his voice again. “This is nearing a Five Star Hotel.”

He twisted the knob back to hot and turned around, leaning back into the stream and letting the comforting warmth sluice over his shoulders and down his back. Once he had wet his hair down, he turned to the side and used the fancy shampoo dispenser. He lathered it into his hair, enjoying the feeling of his nails on his scalp. He tilted his head back and let the water wash the soap away.

At least there was a bar of soap, no prison would be a proper prison without the obligatory bar of soap. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he was looking for points _for_ the prison thing or against it, anymore. This place was already getting to him.

When he’d finished, he reached around and grabbed a thin towel from the little shelf on the other side of the shower divider. There really wasn’t much to it, but then again, he didn’t know of many high security prisons that had personal showers either, so he couldn’t really complain. He towelled himself off then rubbed it rapidly all over his head to help dry his hair.

To his surprise (and gratitude), he found a clean jumpsuit folded up neatly on the same shelf the towel was on. If his fingers hadn’t skimmed them when he’d gotten the towel, he wouldn’t even have noticed it there underneath the towel. Keeping his body behind the fogged curtain, he reached around and traded the now used towel for the clothing. He stepped into it, zipping it up just past his waist and then pushed the curtain aside. He stepped out so he’d have more room, and opted for tying the arms of the jumpsuit around his middle to hold the bottom half up.

In the cell next to his, Ivan was sitting in the floor doing leg stretches. He caught Kotetsu’s look and waved solemnly at him. He mouthed something, but Kotetsu didn’t quite catch it. He stepped closer to the wall that divided their rooms and shook his head.

“Sorry? I didn’t get that.” He didn’t know why he was talking so loudly, it wasn’t as if anyone would be able to hear him even if he were yelling at the top of his lungs.

Ivan must have understood him though. He held up a finger as he finished his stretch, and then pushed himself to his feet and moved closer. He pointed to Kotetsu’s chest and mouthed, _Are you feeling any better?_

Oh. He put on a smile and nodded at him. Speaking slowly so he could read his lips, he said, “I’m feeling much better.” There were so many things he wanted to ask, but these sound blocking walls were as annoying as they were confining. The quiet was almost claustrophobic.

As if hearing his thoughts, there was a staticky click, and then Maverick’s voice was echoing through his room.

“Good morning, Heroes. I trust you enjoyed your night of peaceful quiet? I thought I’d give you all some time to...reflect on things.”

Kotetsu had turned away from Ivan toward the source of the sound, and located the speaker on the ceiling of his cell toward the back of the room.

“Reflect?” another voice, rough with sleep--Barnaby’s, flooded into his room.

He was sitting on his bed, looking as though he’d just sat up. His hair was sticking up at odd angles all over his head. Had this been any other time, Kotetsu would make a comment on it. Maybe he’d save it for later. If they could still talk later. He watched as Barnaby stood, moving to the glass overlooking the room below.

“I’ve spent my whole _life_ reflecting!”

“Woah, easy Bunny.” Kotetsu stepped forward. He didn’t know why he was trying to intervene, or if he even really wanted to, for that matter. But he figured spouting his anger probably wasn’t the best approach in this situation.

Bunny turned to look at him, a mixture of surprise and worry crossing his features before the frown returned. He didn’t say anything though, merely looked him over, eyes roaming over him thoroughly.

Kotetsu moved toward the back edge of his cell, beside his bed, and looked down into the room below. Maverick was there, looking up at them all with that stupid smarmy gloating grin on his face. He could hear background noise from the others’ cells filtering in through the speaker, and it was something like music to his ears.

“Ah Kotetsu,” Maverick called, turning around to look at him. “How are you feeling this morning?”

He couldn’t help the glare he threw at him. “Well, I woke up and I was still here, so.”

Maverick chuckled at that. Funny--hilarious really, since he wasn’t trying to be funny. “You know, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You’re making it worse than it is. I’m just working to make the world a better place here, and you all are going to help me.”

“Oh really?” Karina’s voice interrupted. “Last time I checked, being held _prisoner_ against your will and being _forced_ to take part in something you’re not interested in _is_ kind of a bad thing!”

“ _Someone_ needs to get their priorities straightened. Just sayin’.”

Kotetsu was getting impatient, and he really didn’t want Bunny to get himself into more trouble, than...whatever Maverick had up his sleeve. He did seem to enjoy tormenting Bunny after all.

“You still haven’t mentioned what you plan to do with us all here,” he pointed out. “You said you convinced everyone we were the bad guys, which is a great cover story for you, but you’ve said nothing about any reason for keeping us here.”

Kotetsu could see his eyebrows raise at him from here. “Oh but you know more than anyone else what’s going on.”

He saw Bunny turn to look at him once more out of the corner of his eye, and he met his gaze with a confused frown. “What are you talking about? I’ve been mostly out of it since I got here, how could I possibly know more than anyone else?”

Bunny looked up, and Kotetsu followed his gesture to the speaker located overhead in Bunny’s own room. Oh.

“We couldn’t hear anything that happened last night, Kotetsu,” Bunny told him anyway. “The system was off.”

Right. That’s why it’d been so maddeningly quiet all night and this morning. But he hadn’t known that it was down before Dr. Autumn and Mason had paid him a visit.

“Well,” Kotetsu said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m still trying to work out how fixing my Hundred Power is going to play into your favor.”

He could hear the sounds of surprise coming from the others.

“Wait,” he heard Antonio say, “so he’s going to help you?”

Barnaby was squinting at him as if trying to work out some hard riddle he’d just given him. He turned back to Maverick below. “But, why? Surely you don’t think you can force us to work for you.”

Maverick busted up laughing once more. “Well of course I can do that, Barnaby. But you already know that. No,” he said, turning slowly to look at them all. “I have other plans for you all. Don’t worry too much Barnaby, you’ll find out soon enough.

“For today though,” he continued, stopping mid-turn to look up at Ivan. “I’ll be needing you.”

“What?” Ivan said, eyes widening as the door of his cell opened behind him.

There was a ruckus of protests from everyone, as two guards stepped into Ivan’s room. He let them take him by the arms and was escorted out into the bright hallway.

“That will be all for today, Heroes,” Maverick’s voice pulled Kotetsu’s attention back to the man below. “Have a good day!” He said in a mock cheerful voice.

Kotetsu wanted to punch the words right back into his mouth.

Moments later, the two guards were dragging Ivan into the room below. The mic in the chamber below must have been turned off, cause he couldn’t hear anything happening down there, but he could still hear his comrades. He wondered if this is what they’d done when he was down there the night before. Maverick spoke to him for a few minutes, Ivan getting increasingly upset at whatever he was saying. Then Maverick was waving his hand and he was being forced into the examination chair.

Ivan looked absolutely terrified. And of course he would be. Kotetsu had been scared and he was a grown man. Ivan was barely out of school--he didn’t deserve this. Kotetsu’s hands balled into fists and he set them against the cool glass in front of him, watching what was happening below.

“Was this what it was like yesterday?”

He didn’t even realize he’d spoken the question aloud until Pao Lin’s voice carried to his ears. “It’s hard.” He turned, looking through Ivan’s cell to see her looking at him. “Watching while they do things to people you care about and not being able to do anything about it.”

“Mmm,” Keith put in, “even worse when you can’t hear what’s going on.”

Karina and Nathan hummed in agreement.

“Are they really trying to fix your power?” Bunny asked. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of what was happening below, but he had moved to his bed, leg curled under him. He turned his head in Kotetsu’s direction, and Kotetsu sat and scooted up against the wall dividing their beds, turning so he could still see what they were doing with Ivan.

“Apparently,” he replied. “They just did some kind of data gathering analysis scan thing of my abilities last night. She said she was going to need a few more runs of it before she’ll be able to figure out how to go about fixing it.”

“Can they really do that?” Antonio asked.

He shook his head and shrugged, looking back at the scene below. “I don’t know.”

Dr. Autumn and Mason were with Ivan now. Maverick had taken a spot off to the side. It looked like he was merely observing now.

Dr. Autumn was talking with Ivan now. She must have said something amusing, because Ivan smiled. She leaned back, tucking her auburn hair behind her ear. It was down today, Kotetsu noticed. It had been pulled into a pony the night before. She got up, stepping out of view momentarily, and came back holding the tablet and probe thing that she’d used on Kotetsu the night before.

Unlike the night before, though, Mason stood to the side. Which, come to think of it, made sense, actually. Ivan’s ability wasn’t a power enhanced one, so he wouldn’t need to suppress him.

Moments later, Ivan’s eyes were lit with the tell tale bright neon blue of all NEXT abilities, and then a perfect copy of Maverick himself was lying strapped into the chair. Kotetsu could faintly see the probe stuck into his forearm, leading into a little gadget device that the doctor’s tablet was plugged into.

It didn’t seem to take nearly as long as her analysis had on Kotetsu the night before--but then again, Ivan didn’t have any issue of time with his ability. In fact, to his knowledge there wasn’t anything wrong with his NEXT abilities. Why would they need to collect data on him?

Everyone else seemed as transfixed as he was on what was going on below them. No one had said anything since the doctor and her assistant had started.

Autumn was collecting her things now. She said something more to Ivan, and then all three of them looked over at Maverick. He said...something--it was really frustrating not being able to hear what was going on. Autumn seemed to protest to whatever it was, but at a raise of his eyebrows delivered with what was likely a threat, she relented, throwing Ivan a look, and then, surprisingly turning to look up at Kotetsu. Mason was looking at him, too.

Ivan was saying something to Maverick now, struggling a bit in his bonds. Whatever was about to happen, it apparently wasn’t going to be good.

Maverick said something, then cocked his head upward at Kotetsu as well, that damn smirk on his face again.

His eyes widened and he shifted his gaze sideways to share a look with Bunny. Then smiled a little crazy. “Heh, they’re probably about to drag me down there again.”

“No,” Karina said. “I don’t think that’s what this is about. It’s--”

“Kaede!” Kotetsu all but growled when he saw his daughter being led in by Maverick’s goons. He pounded on the glass, for all the good that did, and said, “Leave her alone, she’s just a kid!”

Her eyes sought his as soon as she was able, and she said something to him, but he was too far away to be able to decipher what it was. Not to mention he was crap at lip reading. She was saying something to Maverick now, throwing occasional glances upward. Whatever it was, Maverick wasn’t approving of it, and there was a note of finality that even Kotetsu felt as Maverick pointed at Ivan and laid out another threat or ultimatum.

She looked down to the side, her hands balled into fists, as Dr. Autumn came over. She reached up and pushed Kaede’s hair over her shoulder, then knelt down and put a hand on Kaede’s cheek. Kaede turned her head with it, and the red haired doctor started pressing buttons on the collar secured around her neck. Sneaking a glance at Mason, eyes lit up with his power, told him his suspicions were right.

They wanted Kaede to absorb someone’s power.

Autumn finished whatever she was doing with the collar and rose to her feet.

The uniformed men standing behind Kaede shifted toward her, but she moved on her own, crossing the space to the examination chair. She looked at Ivan for a long moment, almost nervous, and then put a hand on his arm. He said something to her and she smiled fleetingly, saying something in return. And then she was being beckoned. She looked over her shoulder, then very quickly leaned over Ivan. Kotetsu wasn’t sure what she’d done, but it’d only lasted a moment. Then she backed away and threw one last look up at Kotetsu, mouthing very plainly “I love you, Dad.”

He put his hand to the glass, leaning in close. “I love you too, Kaede,” he responded. Hoping she could see from there. Her smile was telling enough. There was a tiny nod as one of the guards put a hand on her shoulder to steer her out. ...Somehow Kotetsu knew it was meant for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's been a while, yeah? I was poked about this story a little bit ago and it finally kicked up the inspiration to edit another chapter. It's been forever, sorry guys! *hides* There is much more written for this, though and I am going to try and get the rest of the chapters edited and posted.

The cell’s intercoms were, thankfully, left on after their morning rude awakening. Ivan had been returned to his cell but was nearly unconscious when the door to his room had opened. He was half carried over to his bed, where the guards sat him down carefully and then left. He’d been asleep since. Kotetsu wasn’t sure if it was an after effect of the probe thing, or if they’d given him something before bringing him back. He’d felt much the same as Ivan had looked when they’d deposited him the night before, but he’d chalked it up to the stiffness from being strapped down on his back for a week without moving. He _had_ been awfully tired though…

A couple hours later, or what he’d guess to be a couple, anyway, since there was no clock or window to get a sense of time in here, trays of food were brought for them. Pushed through a little slot in the door, which was promptly closed afterward.

Kotetsu crossed the room to get his tray. He threw a glance into Ivan’s cell. He was still asleep; hadn’t even moved from the spot he’d been deposited into. He stared a moment, worried for his young friend, before bending to pick up his tray from the floor.

The chatter had died down to an idle thing, and he was mostly through his sandwich (which actually wasn’t horrible!) when Antonio’s voice cut through the temporary silence that had only been filled with the sounds of eating to this point.

“Why didn’t you tell us, Kotetsu?” He sounded hurt. Kotetsu got a sense that he’d wanted to ask since the coms came back on, but had only just convinced himself to do it now. He couldn’t blame him for that. Of everyone, he’d known Antonio the longest, and before Bunny, he had been Kotetsu’s closest friend.

He sighed and shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth, thinking over what he was going to say to them. He owed them an explanation. After all, his near-death experience was probably a prime factor in why they’d all ended up here. He still wondered what had happened after he’d blacked out, but he hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask about that yet either.

“If it’s any consolation, I haven’t known for long myself,” he said. “When I found out what was happening to me, I freaked out. That’s why I decided to go home and visit my family. I needed to get myself together first to figure out what to do about it.” He paused and looked up to find that everyone was looking at him. “Honestly, the reason I came back to Sternbild was to turn in my resignation. But when I got here, everything was worse off than I thought, and I couldn’t leave Bunny at a time like this,” his eyes sought out Bunny, who was smiling sadly at him.

He huffed out a breath. “Kaede was mad at me. I was only supposed to be here for a few days. Tell everyone, let the sponsors and HeroTV know, and then head back home. But then with everything… I decided I’d make this my last mission.” He shook his head, “And then everything went south when I talked to Maverick.” He threw another look at Bunny, holding his gaze. “I was worried. Bunny told me he couldn’t trust his memory, and that he was certain Jake wasn’t his parents killer--found proof of it even. He’d gone to investigate, and...disappeared.

“The next day I called Maverick, hoping he’d know where Bunny had gone.” He laughed bitterly. “In the end, it turned out Maverick had had you all along.”

Bunny’s eyes widened.

“It was those silly pins--the ones I’d bought us both. I found one in Maverick’s office when I went to talk to him, but I thought I’d just dropped mine. Turns out mine had been in the car all along, I wasn’t wearing it when I went to see him.” He paused, taking a quick drink of his milk. “It was a couple days after the announcement that I was a wanted criminal when you turned up again.”

He shook his head, realizing he hadn’t answered his friend’s question properly. “I had planned to tell you all sooner, but once everything got going,” he shrugged and dropped his hands into his lap. “There just never seemed to be a good time.”

“I’m sorry, guys,” he said after a moment. “It really wasn’t my intention to keep this from you for this long. Maybe if I‘d explained before, then things wouldn’t have turned out this way... ”

“Even if you had, things still would have gone badly,” Bunny told him. “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Kotetsu looked up at him. His face was solemn. The others that he could see had grim looks of agreement as well.

“That thing we took down, the H-01?” Bunny waited for his nod to go on. “It wasn’t the only one. Maverick had them mass produced. He brought out…” Bunny’s eyes went distant for a moment, before shaking his head, “at least a half dozen more of those things. The others had broken free of their cells, but with so many, we were divided.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We were no match for them, they took us down pretty quickly.”

Kotetsu could hear the others’ hums of agreement as Bunny spoke.

Bunny sighed again, and Kotetsu could see his eyes were squeezed shut. “Who knows what they’re doing now...”

“Don’t worry, Bunny, we’ll figure a way out of this. We always have,” Kotetsu told him with optimism he didn’t wholly feel. He wished he could put a comforting hand on his shoulder, or even just be an annoying punching bag for Bunny right now...anything to wipe that look of utter defeat off of his face.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be harder than you think, Tiger,” Ivan’s tired voice joined theirs.

“Ivan!” Pao Lin exclaimed. “You’re awake!”

Kotetsu turned to see him pushing himself into a sitting position. He looked better than he had when they’d dumped him onto his bed, but still a bit worse for wear.

“Oh thank goodness! We were so worried!”

“Are you alright?” Came Karina’s voice.

Ivan nodded. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of Kotetsu. “I think I’m fine, anyway.” He took a breath as if he were going to say something, then frowned, looking confused.

“Ivan?” Kotetsu said, getting up and crossing the short space to the wall that separated his room from Ivan’s.

“I…” he shook his head. “There was something important that I needed to tell you, but I can’t remember what it was…”

“Maverick,” Barnaby’s voice growled. “I bet he brainwashed you.”

Kotetsu looked over his shoulder. He didn’t want to believe him but… “Ivan,” he said, looking at him. “Was it something to do with Kaede? Did you find out what they’re doing with her?”

“Kaede.” His gaze was far off for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened, and he laughed in amusement like he’d just discovered some great secret. “She must have known.”

“Wha--known what?” Kotetsu asked, not unkindly, even though he was getting a bit impatient with all the waiting.

“When she touched me,” he went on, looking at his arm. He shook his head and smiled, “I don’t know how she would have done it when her powers work with touch, but...she used Maverick’s power on me I think, to give me cues so I’d remember once he’d altered my memories.”

“Huh, so there’s a certain length of time it takes for the powers to mimic and become hers?” Blue Rose asked.

Ivan nodded. “I think so.”

“Oh,” he said when Kotetsu started unconsciously doing the ‘go on’ gesture, and then his face fell. “I think Maverick is going to use her to do his bidding.”

Kotetsu closed his eyes, balling his fists at his sides. “I was worried that was his plan.”

“I hate to say it, Kotetsu,” Antonio said, “but it makes sense. Kaede’s mimic ability makes her the ultimate NEXT. She can be whatever type of hero Maverick wants her to be.”

“And with all of us here,” Karina went on, carrying on Antonio’s thought, “he can manipulate her into mimicking any one of our powers and keep us here for as long as he wants.”

“Surely he wouldn’t be able to get away with something like that,” Keith said, sounding frustrated.

Kotetsu let the conversation wash over him as he thought about Kaede. Where was she right now? Was she being manipulated by Maverick into doing something she didn’t want to do? Were they hurting her?

“You know Maverick best, Barnaby,” Nathan said, “what do you think?”

“I think--” Kotetsu heard Barnaby sigh. “I think he’s capable. He can do it, I’m living proof. All I’ve ever been to him is something he can manipulate into whatever he wants. From the time my parents were murdered up until now, my life has been completely played into his hands.”

Kotetsu looked up, not really knowing what to say, and Bunny met his gaze square on.

“I hope Ivan’s not right, but…”

Kotetsu just nodded. It was entirely plausible, all the pieces fit, but...his baby girl.

“We’ll get her out of here,” Bunny was giving him a serious look, and Kotetsu realized he’d spoken her name aloud. “We’re going to figure out a way out of here, and we’ll get Maverick far away from her.”

Kotetsu realized belatedly that Bunny was pretty much repeating what he’d told him earlier and smiled at the sentiment.

* * *

They were left to themselves for the rest of the day. Someone had brought by their lunch, and now dinner trays, sticking them through the same slot along the bottom of the door and locking it back.

Kotetsu ran his fingers along the seam of the closed slat, wondering how much force it would take to break the lock on the other side. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d do if he could break through it, but it was a starting point. He pressed on it experimentally. It didn’t even budge. His stomach growled and he decided that he’d peruse the thought of escape while he ate.

The food here just really wasn’t that great. Although, he had tried prison food, once, and it was much worse than what they were getting here. He couldn’t complain _that_ much. But it still wasn’t great.

They’d all gotten talked out hours ago. Though, Pao Lin’s outspoken idle thought asking ‘what if they’re listening to everything we’re saying?’ had pretty effectively killed it for everyone. Bunny had gone instantly silent, and had been in deep thought ever since. If Kotetsu hadn’t known any better, he’d put it off as him being upset and not about to give anything more to Maverick if he could help it. Which he did indeed feel, but he was likely currently coming up with some way for them to communicate without being found out. Because that’s the kind of thing that Bunny would do.

Kotetsu had gone quiet for other reasons. The primary one on his mind being Kaede, and if she was alright, and then he was also nursing the immense guilt he was feeling over the whole situation. He hoped Tomoe would forgive him for getting their daughter into this mess. From there, his thoughts had drifted to Tomoe, and had, finally, eventually ended up where he was now: actually putting his brain to good use and trying to think of a way to escape this place, rather than worrying and feeling guilty for himself.

Once he’d finished his dinner--a lukewarm bowl of stew with a dry bread roll--he got up and sat the tray over by the door. They’d pick it up in the morning when they brought their breakfast trays.

Literally nothing happened for the rest of the evening. It would have been great, this nothing, had he been at home doing nothing. He could lay around his apartment and enjoy a good homemade stir-fry. _This_ nothing, though, this left him only with his thoughts in ways that he really didn’t like. He’d listened when the others talked, but the topics were kept light and random, and once Nathan started talking about fashion, Kotetsu had decided it was time to tune them out.

He caught Ivan watching him a few times out of the corner of his eye and wondered what he was thinking. His eyes were sad, but he never said anything.

He spent a good portion of the night--when he wasn’t thinking about how bad things sucked--trying to figure out the collar he was wearing. He’d tried to study it by reflection, but it was a barely there reflection in the first place, and other than the faint blue light coming from it, it was hard to distinguish any real noticeable features.

So he’d gone with feeling it out. 

He ran his fingers from one side of his neck across the front to the other side. The surface was smooth with a couple horizontal ridges that ran all the way around. But the doctor girl had definitely pressed buttons; he’d felt it, heard a couple beeps even. He slid his fingers around the back, but the exact same texture met his fingertips. There was no vertical division seam. No discernable place where the collar could clasp shut.

How the hell had they put the damn thing on him?

He slipped his middle finger under the edge between the collar and his neck and slid it around the top and then the bottom, but there was only super smooth metal. No creases, no ridges, just...smoothness.

At lights out, he was lying atop his bedsheets on his back, hand resting on his chest where he’d left it when he’d given up trying to figure out that damned collar--from which he never discerned a damn thing. There was a different kind of buzzing sound, and then they were met with the same dimly lit darkness of the night before.

Kotetsu was surprisingly comforted by it. At least now he could sleep. Now he could get away from his thoughts.

He maneuvered himself under his covers, turning on his side to face Bunny’s cell. Bunny was already asleep, had been before lights out. He’d showered an hour or so before, and had instantly crawled into his bed and shut his eyes. He’d long since been asleep.

Kotetsu closed his eyes and snuggled down into his sheets, pulling his knees up to get comfortable. He had nearly been asleep when there was a light thunking sound near his head. He cracked open an eye to find Barnaby staring at him.

He was wearing his glasses again and suddenly Kotetsu wondered if Bunny had been asleep at all. He held his hands in front of the glass and flashed something with his fingers. It was fleeting, Kotetsu hadn’t quite caught what he’d done, but it looked a lot like he was signing.

Kotetsu frowned and pushed himself onto his elbow. He wasn’t very good at sign language; had learned a few of the signs when they’d done some promotional visits to local children’s hospitals. He knew the alphabet--or most of it anyway, but it had been a while since he’d tried using it. That was about as extensive as his knowledge went.

He shook his head at Barnaby with a frown. _'What?'_ he mouthed wordlessly.

 _'Do you know sign?'_ Bunny mouthed as his fingers moved in the same pattern as before.

He shook his head again. _'Not very much_ ,' he mouthed back.

Bunny’s shoulders visibly sunk and Kotetsu heard him sigh through the tinny speaker above.

Kotetsu tapped at the glass and mouthed, _'I can try_.' He lifted his hands and signed “I try”. He knew that one at least.

Barnaby smiled and sat up a little more.

They’d stayed up silently talking for a while. It was slower, and much of it was more lip reading than actual signing on Kotetsu’s part, but it seemed to make Bunny feel better. Neither of them had come up with any sort of escape plan. Eventually, Kotetsu was yawning more than he was signing/watching, and Bunny suggested they both go to bed and start over tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning was quite uneventful. No one was taken from their cell, something both he and Bunny had figured would happen. No Maverick to give them a rude wake-up call either. Their morning breakfast trays were delivered as usual, but they were otherwise left alone.

It seemed to be the consensus that no one was going to discuss plans for escape. Not that any of them had come up with anything yet, but it was best not to give Maverick anything, if possible. They’d all talked, some serious topics, some not, but the conversation had remained careful.

The day had gone on like that until just after their lunch trays were delivered. Kotetsu had just finished the last of his drink when his door buzzed open.

He shared a look with Bunny, who had gotten to his feet, and then waited as two guards stepped into his room.

“Come on,” one of them said, leaving no room for argument.

They waited, watching Kotetsu stand. He walked toward them, making sure he looked as non-threatening as possible. Not that he’d make it far if he tried to run. The place was a giant circular hallway, and he probably couldn’t get the elevator to move if he tried. When he was close enough, they grabbed his arms, leading him out into the hallway. They made the same trip as before: walk to the end of the hallway, ride the elevator down, and then follow a similar hallway into the exam room below. But this time things felt tenser somehow.

Kaede was being held by another guard when he was escorted into the room, Maverick standing off to the side.

“Dad!” she cried, “I’m so sorry daddy!”

“What? Kaede?” He struggled to look at her as he was hauled across the room. Tears were streaming down her face and she was struggling to get free of her captor. “What’s going on? Maverick!”

He grunted as he was forced into the chair, barely keeping himself from fighting back. That wouldn’t help anything, as long as Maverick had Kaede in his hands, anything he did could fall back on her. He wasn’t going to let that happen. So he gritted his teeth and let them secure him to the chair, trying to keep himself in check.

Maverick was ignoring him, looking instead, directly at Kaede.

“Please,” she uttered, almost frantic now. “Don’t do this! Leave my dad alone!”

“Real life has consequences, as I’m sure your father would’ve taught you had he spent more time around you growing up,” Maverick told her.

“Hey!” Kotetsu said. That was a low blow. Made all the worse by the fact that it was true. But he still wasn’t going to let Maverick just say that.

Maverick moved toward Kaede, ignoring him still. “Maybe he can teach you that lesson now.”

“Hey, look, whatever it is, just lay off of her,” Kotetsu said, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt. He had no clue what was going on, but he didn’t want it to end with Kaede getting hurt if there was anything he could do about it.

Maverick laughed, finally turning to face him. “Why, don’t you worry Wild Tiger, she knows full well what her consequences are. I’m not going to do anything _to her_.”

Oh. Well, now Kaede’s fit made sense. She was now struggling so much to get out of the man’s grasp that one of the two men that had hauled him in had gone to help hold her in place.

“ _Please_ ,” Kaede wailed again. “Don’t do this! I’ll do anything, just please don’t do this to my dad!”

“Oh?” Maverick stopped advancing on Kotetsu, raising an eyebrow. “Does this mean you’re going to cooperate with me?”

Kotetsu could see the hesitation, could see the decision warring it out in her eyes. Then her face screwed up and she started sobbing quietly. It broke his heart to watch.

“Well?” Maverick urged her.

“I can’t,” she barely got out. “I won’t lie for you!”

“Alright,” Maverick nodded then turned to the men tasked with keeping her under control. “Would you two please escort the girl to Mr. Kaburagi’s cell? There’s a good view from there.” He turned away and looked back at Kotetsu. “I’ll wait to start.”

“No!” Kaede yelled, her voice choked on a sob. “Dad! Dad, I’m so sorry!”

“Kaede, don’t worry okay?” Kotetsu tried to calm her. “Daddy’s going to be just fine.”

“No, Dad--” she was cut off as she was half dragged, half carried out of the room, the doors closing them into silence.

Kotetsu shifted his gaze back to the man standing beside him and absolutely growled. “You stupid son of a bitch,” he gritted out. He was nearly vibrating in his anger. He bit the side of his cheek to gather some focus. His voice was a little calmer when he asked, “What are you trying to make her do, anyway?”

Maverick shrugged and looked up toward his room above. “That is between Miss Kaede and myself, and therefore,” he looked back at Kotetsu with a smirk, “none of your concern.

“Ahh, now that Miss Kaede has rejoined us, we can proceed,” he said without pause.

Kotetsu looked upward. Kaede was standing at the inner wall now, watching. When he made eye contact, she brought her hands to her face, sinking to her knees against the glass.

Maverick moved into his vision, blocking his view of Kaede. He started to say something, and then his mouth made an “oh” shape, and he pulled something that looked like a handheld remote from his inner jacket pocket. He pushed a button that must have done something, and then put it back into his jacket.

Kotetsu met his gaze square on when he turned his focus back on him. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me, Maverick.”

His smile was dangerous. “Oh but it does--or at least, it does to her,” he pointed out, gesturing over his shoulder. “Hasn’t your time with Barnaby taught you anything? I can alter memories, take them away, or completely rewrite people’s lives just like that,” he said with a gentle snap of his fingers.

He leaned in close enough that Kotetsu could smell his overpriced aftershave.

“What shall I take from you?” he whispered.

Kotetsu bit down on his cheek again to keep himself from saying anything. He didn’t want to give him any ideas. Maybe he’d get lucky and Maverick would rewrite a day he had done nothing very significant. A thought struck him, and he was saying it before he could think better of it.

“You could make me forget this place, I’m not really fond of the memories I’m making here.”

Instead of responding, Maverick put his hand to Kotetsu’s forehead. Shaking him off didn’t work, Maverick had just moved with him. He tried to clear his mind, but Maverick was already grinning.

“Ah,” he said. “Found it.”

A memory flooded into his mind’s eye, and his blood ran cold. “No,” he said pulling away. Maverick’s hand slipped off at the motion and his head cleared for a moment.

“No,” Maverick said, smiling sinisterly. “I think this is perfect.”

The hand was back on his head, and the old memory flew back to the forefront of his mind. It was Tomoe, as he’d first met her, looking beautiful in her school outfit with her hair pulled back. The memory flashed to years later, him down on his knee with Tomoe’s hand in his own.

Kotetsu shook his head, anything to derail where this was going, but Maverick held fast. He’d already lost Tomoe, he couldn’t lose the only thing he had left of her.

“She was a beautiful girl,” Maverick told him, his voice bordering on mocking. “You were a lucky man, Kotetsu.”

The memory changed once more, to the other of his happiest days, the day Kaede was born. Tomoe was holding baby Kaede with a tired smile while Kotetsu’s arms surrounded them both. She was absolutely glowing, happy tears shining in her eyes. He watched himself lean back and wipe away a stray tear from Tomoe’s cheek, before leaning in to kiss her.

Even though he knew what was coming next, he felt tears spring to his eyes as memory him spoke with Tomoe for what he knew now was the last time. He’d been called out during his visit, and she had nearly pushed him out the door. She’d always believed in him, always. Even when she was on her deathbed she was telling him to go help others.

“Ooh,” Maverick said, halting the memory as Kotetsu headed for the door of the hospital room. “This one will do nicely.”

Kotetsu struggled more than he had before with the bonds holding him in the chair. Nothing budged, so he threw his upper body to the side, away from Maverick. “Don’t you dare take her away from me!”

He knew his eyes were wild, his breath speeding up to keep up with his heart rate. He could feel the tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

“Oh I have no intention of taking her away,” his grin was deadly. “Oh no, I want you to remember, Kotetsu.”

Someone on the other side pushed him back upright in the chair and held him there. Maverick put his hand back on him and his eyes glowed blue as he said, “You’re just going to remember _differently_.”

The memory in the hospital flashed in his mind for a moment, and then it was gone, replaced with a mission he vaguely remembered.

The heroes were fighting a NEXT with concussive abilities. They had taken him down, but he had demolished an abandoned apartment building.

The next images crossing his vision were of the wreckage. There had been casualties, civilians who had been on the street below. The heroes had been dispatched to help with the rescue and clean-up. He had just pulled a young boy from the debris when he saw her.

“Tomoe!” He yelled, handing the boy off to a police officer.

She was lying on her back, hair stuck to the blood on her nose. She was trapped under the end of a long iron beam resting on her chest.

Kotetsu summoned his Hundred Power and heaved the beam up and off of her, then dropped it to the side. “Tomoe!” he said, grabbing her hand and smoothing her hair back out of her face. Her hand was cold in his, eyes staring vacantly upward.

He hadn’t known when the memory had ended. The last thing he saw was Maverick saying something he couldn’t discern before everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another update!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying! :)

“Tomoe!”

Kotetsu jerked into a sitting position, hand outstretched in front of him. His breathing was ragged, and his vision blurred with unshed tears in an instant.

Someone was saying his name, and then there were fingers gently grasping his wrist, an arm going around his waist.

His eyes closed as he tried to remember where he was, what he’d been doing before he fell asleep. He couldn’t recall anything. He’d been eating his lunch and then...Maverick. He’d done...something...

Panic rose out of nowhere and all of a sudden the fingers on his wrist felt restraining. He needed to get away. He jerked his arm free and threw his elbow back into a chest, hearing an ‘oompf’ from his captor. He tried to get out of the bed, but the hands he’d just knocked off wrapped around him, attempting to hold him in place.

“Kotetsu!,” the person was saying as he fought to free his arms, hands pressing against their chest, “Kotetsu! Calm down! It’s just me! Come on, Kotetsu, it’s me! Barnaby!”

On the last word, all the fight drained right out of him. “Bunny?” he uttered, voice cracking around the huge lump in his throat.

The arms loosened, and Bunny scooted back to give him some space. Kotetsu looked around him. He was in Bunny’s cell, but...how had he even gotten here? He reached up and pushed his fingers into his temples, massaging them gently.

“Kotetsu?” Bunny asked cautiously. He was looking him over, worry plain in his eyes. When he caught Kotetsu’s gaze, he frowned. “Are you alright?”

Kotetsu shook his head. “I--I killed her, Bunny.”

The tears were flowing, unabashed, down his cheeks now. “Bunny,” he shook his head again. “How could I do that to her? Why couldn’t I have saved her? Why did it have to be T--”

His throat closed up on a sob, and he couldn’t say anything more. He dropped his head in his hands.

Bunny scooted close again, awkwardly tugging him into his chest, arms going around his shoulders comfortingly. Kotetsu latched on to Barnaby’s jumpsuit and buried his head into Barnaby’s shoulder. The sobs wracked through him, shaking him uncontrollably. Bunny held him, rubbing circles into his back and whispering soft words of comfort in his ear.

Eventually, his sobs had ebbed.

He sat back, scrubbing at his eyes. Bunny let him go, but stayed close, watching him carefully. He didn’t say anything, and for that Kotetsu was grateful. Bunny wasn’t normally a very huggy, comforting guy, and yet he’d just let him bawl his eyes out into his shoulder.

“Thanks,” he told him. His voice was rough.

Barnaby smiled sadly at him. “Look, I don’t know what happened down there, but I know what it’s like to have Maverick screw around with your memories. Whatever,” he paused, eying him carefully. “Whatever that breakdown was over, it might not be real.”

Kotetsu frowned. Maverick had messed with his memories. He’d had a dream about Tomoe, which had brought everything that had happened and her awful death to the forefront of his mind. But what if… He shook his head. No, he knew what had happened, there was no point in trying to tell himself it was a result of Maverick’s tampering.

“Tomoe died nearly six years ago.”

Bunny nodded. “You’ve told me that before so that at least was left untampered. You never said how she passed though.”

Kotetsu took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. He didn’t particularly want to be snuffling into Bunny’s shoulder again. “Can you blame me?” His voice cracked on the last word.

Bunny eyed him worriedly a moment, then, probably convinced he wasn’t going to have another breakdown, pushed a hand into his hair. “Look, I know firsthand how real implanted memories can feel. I don’t know what really happened to Tomoe, but I _never_ got the vibe that you’d been the cause of her death in the few times you mentioned her.” He paused, sighing to fill the silence. “Maverick took you down there to punish your daughter, punish you, he wouldn’t have messed with just any memory. Just...remember that.”

Kotetsu groaned, putting a hand to his head. He had one hell of a headache.

He pulled his legs up, moving them over the side of the bed beside Bunny, and slid to his feet. The floor was cold under them as he padded across the room to the sink. He turned the knob and watched the water flow from the tap for a moment. Cupping his hands under the stream, he splashed the cool water on his face.

He knew Bunny was probably right. He didn’t usually wake up in tears, but… The memory of Tomoe had been so clear. If things hadn’t happened that way, if that building hadn’t--if she hadn’t-- He couldn’t finish the thought. What had really happened to her?

Once he was finished rinsing his face, he reached for a towel, only to abort the motion when he remembered he wasn’t in his cell. There was only one towel.

“Go ahead,” Bunny said, catching on to his hesitation. “It might be a little damp from my shower earlier.”

He wasn’t worried about a damp towel. He reached out once more and grabbed it, rubbing it over his face to dry it. The towel was actually mostly dry. If Bunny hadn’t mentioned it, he probably wouldn’t have noticed at all. He set it back on the shelf and started back toward the bed. His eyes caught on something--someone curled up sleeping in his cell next door and stopped in his tracks.

“Wha--Kaede?”

Bunny nodded. “Yeah, don’t wake her up, she’s had a rough night, too.”

Kotetsu frowned. He tried to call up anything that would tell him what had happened, but...nothing came. Maverick must have taken his most recent memories as well. He dared to hope that’s all he’d done, but he had a sinking feeling he was wrong. It was more likely of Maverick to erase his memory of him erasing his memories, then he wouldn’t even know anything had happened.

But things _had_ happened. Kotetsu had gone from his room with armed guards pouring in, to...somewhere, though Bunny had mentioned that he had been down below again. Which meant it was probably safe to assume he’d been back in that chair. All he knew was that he woke up sharing Bunny’s cell, while Kaede occupied his own.

He shook his head and sat back on the bed, looking at Bunny. “What happened, Bunny?”

Barnaby reached out, setting a hand on Kotetsu’s leg, concern still creasing his eyebrows. “You don’t remember anything.”

“Nothing.”

Barnaby sighed and pushed his hair back in what Kotetsu usually called his signature hair flip. Though his hair wasn’t styled now, it had gone flat. Bunny almost looked like a different person. At least they hadn’t done something so stupid as take his glasses from him.

“They came just after lunch trays were handed out,” he started, and Kotetsu nodded. “No warning. Just busted into your room and dragged you downstairs.” He looked upward, and then back. “We couldn’t hear anything, they had the coms off.”

They were still off. Kotetsu hadn’t put any thought toward it until just now, but there wasn’t any sound filtering into their room. He’d be hearing Antonio’s snoring at the very least if they were on.

“They strapped you in the chair,” Bunny went on, “and...Kaede was down there, too. She was--well,” Bunny shot a look over his shoulder at the girl sleeping soundly on the other side of the glass. Kotetsu’s eyes followed. “She was extremely upset. Maverick, I think--no, I’m sure he was punishing you as a punishment to Kaede. They brought her up here when she got too out of hand for them.”

Kotetsu sighed long and hard and closed his eyes. He shifted and put a hand to the glass beside the place Kaede’s hand was laying, palm up on the other side.

“I think,” Bunny started, and waited for Kotetsu to turn. “I think she could hear everything. Maverick did something with a remote, and then she was reacting every time he spoke to you.”

Kotetsu scoffed, the hand on the glass balling into a fist. “Of course he would.”

The thought made him sick. Torturing him, that he didn’t care about. But tormenting a fourteen-year-old girl, _his_ fourteen-year-old girl, that was just… His vision blurred again, but he wasn’t going to let himself cry over this. He wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms. Rub her back and tell her everything was going to be okay.

She was less than a foot away, but the glass made it feel like miles.

She was curled around his pillow, face half buried into it, hair splayed out behind her. He could see the tear tracks on her face, dried by now. One hand was thrown out and rested against the glass, the other tucked around the pillow.

“She hasn’t been asleep long,” Bunny’s voice carried. “I dozed off, but she laid awake for a while. She was still crying before I fell asleep.” He sounded tired.

Kotetsu turned and eyed his partner, really looked at him. It had to be late, or, probably more accurately, early now. Everyone else was sleeping, too. There were dark circles hidden under Barnaby’s glasses, his tired eyes watching him.

Next to the bed, there was an empty food tray and the thin blanket from the bed wadded into a ball that looked like it had been used as a pillow.

“Did you stay up all night?” Kotetsu asked.

Barnaby closed his eyes and nodded, yawning tiredly. “Well,” he amended, “most of it. I don’t think I was asleep very long before you woke up.”

Kotetsu winced. “Sorry.” He shifted to his feet, sliding off the bed. “You should get some sleep. I’ll take the floor.”

“No, Kotetsu you should--”

“Really Bunny,” he urged. “I don’t think I’ll be sleeping again very soon anyway.” Images of Tomoe echoed in his mind and he swallowed down the fresh lump of guilt in his throat. He eyed the second dinner tray over by the door. “I think I’m gonna eat before I try to go back to sleep, at least.”

At that, Bunny relented, nodding slowly at him. A yawn took him over once more, and he shifted sideways, sliding under the sheet.

Kotetsu started toward his abandoned tray.

“Kotetsu…”

Bunny’s voice was soft, sleepy, and he turned toward it. Bunny was curled up on his side, one hand tucked under his pillow, hair fanned out behind him.

“If you need me, f--” he paused, yawning so hard he shifted his hand from under the pillow to cover it. His eyes were watery, eyelids drooped low, when he continued, “For _anything_. ...I’m here.”

Kotetsu smiled at him. “I know.”

He crossed the room and bent, grabbing up his tray from the floor. He walked back and scooted down against the wall next to the bed. He had assumed that was the end of it, but he could feel the burn of Bunny’s eyes on him. When he glanced his way, Bunny was squinting at the food tray instead.

“What?” he couldn’t help asking.

“You’re really going to eat that?” 

Kotetsu looked back at the tray. Tonight’s selection had been two kinds of vegetables and some questionable meat that looked like it was once meant to resemble meatloaf. Though the fact that it sat untouched for hours could have contributed to the questionable part, Kotetsu wasn’t sure. Maybe he wouldn’t eat the meatloaf, then.

“I haven’t eaten since hours ago,” he said.

“They _brought_ that hours ago.” Bunny’s voice was slurring a bit.

Kotetsu picked up his fork and poked at the meatloaf-like substance. A chunk of it fell free. It didn’t look any more appetizing. “Okay, well I’m not going to eat that,” he told him. “But the corn and green beans should hold me until breakfast.”

Barnaby had closed his eyes, but his mouth had turned up at the corners. “It didn’t look much better when they brought it either.”

“Bunny?”

“Mm?” Bunny hummed.

“Go to bed.”

He huffed, unmoving. “I am in bed.”

“Sleep,” he clarified, even though he knew he didn’t need to. Why did Bunny always have to be so stubborn?

In reply, Bunny pulled his glasses off. He folded them and stuck them under his pillow for safekeeping. The covers rustled as he resettled himself and he was breathing deeply almost as soon as his head had found the pillow once more. 

Kotetsu turned his attention back to his tray. The corn and green beans didn’t look all that appetizing either. He shoveled a forkful of the corn onto the tines of his fork and raised it to his nose, sniffing. It didn’t smell like anything at all. That had to be a good thing, right? If it had gone bad it wouldn’t smell good. Which it didn't, but that wasn't the point.

He shoveled it into his mouth and chewed the experimental bite. And, well, he had definitely eaten worse. It tasted fine, if cold.

Next, he speared a couple green beans onto his fork. He gave them the same sniff test as the corn. They smelled fine. Tasted pretty good, too, considering how long his tray had sat there.

His eyes drifted back to Bunny as he finished off the veggies, now quietly snoring beside him. His thoughts went back to Bunny’s near meltdown he’d witnessed right after he’d gotten back to town. He’d been so lost, so confused that he wasn’t sure who or what he could trust anymore. Kotetsu was beginning to understand what he had been going through. It was terrible, knowing that your memory had been altered in some way, but not knowing what had changed or what the original memory had been. That you couldn’t trust in the one thing that has never been wrong, because your memories have always been your own.

He hoped beyond hope that Bunny was right about Tomoe, that none of what he remembered was true but… Memories were hard to deny.

His eyes trailed over Bunny’s shoulder. He couldn’t see Kaede from his place on the floor, but he knew she was still sleeping on the other side of the glass. If she had heard everything, then she likely knew what Maverick had done to him. He frowned. That is if he hadn’t altered her memories as well. Maybe she wouldn’t remember either… He’d ask her when she woke up.

He sat his tray, now empty, other than the questionable meatloaf, on top of Bunny’s as quietly as he could. Then he took them both and pushed himself to his feet. Crossing the floor, he set them back by the door, ready to be traded out for their breakfast trays in the morning.

If it weren’t for the meals, he would never know what time of day it was. He huffed, amused by the thought. His eyes trailed to Kaede sleeping soundly. They needed to find a way out of this place. Soon. Before something happened that they couldn’t undo.

His sigh turned into a yawn, and he puzzled at it. How long had he been asleep? He shouldn’t be this tired if he’d slept since lunchtime. How long had Maverick tormented him anyway?

He yawned once more and looked toward the balled up blanket next to where he’d been sitting. Maybe he’d take a short nap. He needed to talk to Kaede, figure all of this out, but he wasn’t about to wake her after Bunny had told him what she’d gone through. A nap would be fine, he told himself, going over and settling back on the floor once more. He wasn’t going to sleep long anyway.

He stretched his legs out and laid back on his back. He grabbed the blanket, considering for a moment if he’d rather have a pillow or a cover. There was a bit of a chill in the room, but not enough that he’d freeze without a blanket. In the end, he decided to compromise. He flipped the blanket out over himself, and then leaned back, tucking the rest of it along with his arm under his head. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would work for now. At least he wouldn’t be cold.

He stared at the ceiling for a moment longer, then sighed and shut his eyes. Tomoe’s face was the last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
